Southern Illinois University
21-6
Eastern Illinois
17-11
No. 25 Softball tops Eastern Illinois 5-1 Wednesday
03/25/2009 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 25, 2009
By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Sophomore Danielle Glosson recorded eight strikeouts, and came one out away from a complete-game shutout to lift 25th-ranked Southern Illinois over Eastern Illinois 5-1 Wednesday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
Glosson limited the Panthers (17-11) to five hits, and retired 11-straight batters in the first five innings en route to her fifth victory this season.
"Glosson really had good movement against a team that scored nine runs against us last year, and five in an exhibition game this past fall," said head coach Kerri Blaylock. "She (Glosson) really figured out their offense and did a great job."
The Salukis (21-6) also had a lavish day at the plate off EIU starter Amber May with eight hits, including two home runs, two doubles and a triple.
The team's five extra-base hits tied a season-high, and it was the first time SIU cracked two home runs in a game since knocking three out of the park against Gardner-Webb at the Bulldog Bash back on Feb. 15.
"I thought we had a great team effort and it started in the circle," Blaylock said. "I was really proud of the kids scoring two runs right off the bat against Amber May who is a very good pitcher."
May entered the non-conference match up with 12 wins, and threw a no-hitter against Illinois State in an exhibition game last fall, however SIU's offense jumped out on the tough sophomore hurler early in the first inning.
Junior second baseman started the scoring with a line-drive RBI single to plate sophomore Chelsea Held from third, and senior Katie Schmidt drove in freshman Haley Gorman on a sacrifice fly to put the Salukis up 2-0.
SIU increased its lead to 3-0 in the third after junior outfielder Katie Wilson blasted her second home run of the season and first in her last 22 games.
"The thing about her (Wilson) is she hits the ball hard, "Blaylock said. "I tell them when you hit the ball hard eventually you're going to get a hold of one and home runs will come"
A home run came again for Southern Illinois in the bottom of the fifth, this time by Garza on a two-run bomb to left-center field off Kathleen Jacoby, to put the Salukis up 5-0.
"I see flashes of a really good team and I'm just asking them for consistency," Blaylock said. "I think a good team can get away with things, but a great team is consistent and that is what I hope we take from this."
Eastern Illinois broke up Glosson's shutout with a two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh by Melinda Jackson, but the Winston-Salem, N.C. native followed with her eighth strikeout to end the game.
Held continued her hit streak to six games, which tied a career-long, with a double in her final at-bat, and Gorman tied a career-best with three hits, including her second triple of the year.
The Salukis will take their four-game win streak on the road this weekend for a three-game MVC series at Illinois State. The series kicks off on Saturday, March 28 with a noon doubleheader, followed by a single game at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Glosson, Danielle (5-4)
L: MAY, Amber (12-7)
Batting:
RBI: JACKSON, Melinda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: JACOBY, Kathleen 1
CS: DANCA, Angela 1
Batting:
2B: Held, Chelsea 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1
3B: Gorman, Haley 1
HR: Garza, Alicia 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1
RBI: Garza, Alicia 3 ; Wilson, Katie 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1
SH: Wamsley, Jayme 1
SF: Schmidt, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Held, Chelsea 1 ; Gorman, Haley 2 ; Garza, Alicia 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1
SB: Gorman, Haley 1 ; Garza, Alicia 1
CS: Held, Chelsea 1
